In Please Don't Bite the Baby (And Please Don't Chase the Dogs), professional dog trainer Lisa Edwards relates how she introduced her first child to a house full of rambunctious animals. In an intriguing twist, Edwards' dog training techniques proved useful both in helping her dogs accept her son and in teaching him how to relate to the family's furry housemates. Recognizing that dogs can become aggressive in new and (to them) threatening situations, she shows how to ensure everyone's safety. Alternating personal anecdotes with sections full of specific, practical training tips, Edwards offers expectant dog lovers healthy and easy-to-manage ways to plan ahead for the baby's arrival.

If you've experienced the frustration of relying on willpower to achieve weight loss, here's a new approach designed to reshape your relationship with food and make eating more enjoyable -- while still dropping the pounds. In The Joy of Half a Cookie, psychologist Jean Kristeller presents her Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training technique. Noticing the texture and flavor of food, being aware of how the body indicates it's satisfied, and making good food choices can eliminate struggles with cravings and the guilt that follows failure of willpower. Providing ample practical advice on calories and grocery shopping, along with a goal-setting guide and checklist, this book has much more to offer than "half a cookie."

Illuminating New Age practices for those looking for a path to a more spiritual lifestyle, The Soul Searcher's Handbook covers everything from identifying the soul's search to fulfilling the aspirations of the spirit. Though author Emma Mildon explains the theory behind these practices, this accessible handbook also offers diagrams, "woo-woo" factors (that indicate where something falls in the New Age spectrum), and engaging personal anecdotes. If you're intrigued by New Age spirituality but didn't know where to look for guidance, pick up this compact but thorough guide to personal inspiration.

Workout routines and weight training offer both fitness and a sense of accomplishment. In this comprehensive guide designed especially for women, Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove (developers of the New Rules On Lifting) show how women can train effectively by using the same techniques as men. Providing helpful background information on strength and musculature as well as diet and weight control, they follow with an explanation of their training program. A chapter on specific exercises covers the hows and whys of core training, lower and upper body exercises, safety, and more. Tips for beginners and a section on weight equipment and how to use it complete the book's presentation.

According to acclaimed food writer Bee Wilson (author of Consider the Fork), humans have to learn which foods taste good and which are good for us -- we're not born with the knowledge of how to eat right. In First Bite, Wilson examines the many factors that influence the development of our food habits. She also discusses the potential for changing those habits later in life. If our early experiences -- influenced by family and peers but also by mass marketing -- lead to eating disorders or simply to poor nutritional patterns, we can decide to modify our eating behavior. Drawing on personal stories as well as case studies and cultural histories, this entertaining presentation offers much food for thought.

Geriatric psychiatrist Marc Agronin invites readers to a hopeful appreciation of people in the late stages of life by depicting the experiences of a number of elderly patients. In How We Age, he describes how medical staff may misinterpret physical symptoms and misunderstand their patients' needs. Countering these unfortunate examples of lapses in care with anecdotes about the positive effects of creative new activities, he argues for treating the oldest elders with dignity and greater attention. Employing dry humor, realistic evaluations, and a "literate, generous, and compassionate" (Publishers Weekly) approach, Agronin shows how an increasingly isolated population can be encouraged to thrive and even bloom.

In this "honest and compassionate" (Kirkus Reviews) examination of end-of-life care, author Katy Butler uses her parents' difficult deaths to argue for a less invasive, more humane approach. Caring for Butler's father -- who had a pacemaker installed before minor surgery, allowing his heart to pump blood into a severely deteriorating body and mind -- caused much anguish for Butler's mother, the primary caregiver. When her own end neared, she refused treatment. In addition to contemplating her parents' experiences, Butler offers a general discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of prolonging life and the political and technological factors that interfere with patient preferences.

Author David Dosa is a geriatrician who works with patients living in a dementia ward. During his visits, he heard from the staff about a cat called Oscar that apparently could tell when a patient was near death. In Making Rounds with Oscar, Dosa explains how he began to notice Oscar's behavior for himself: the cat would curl up with a dying patient, stay with the patient's family, or wait outside a closed door until allowed in. Weaving anecdotes about Oscar into informative discussions about advanced dementia, Dosa provides an accessible and thought-provoking view of life for dementia patients and their families and the specialized and sympathetic care they need.

In Saying Goodbye to Someone You Love, folklorist Norine Dresser and family therapist Fredda Wasserman present both anecdotal examples and practical advice about approaching the end of life. Covering issues such as how to discuss the subject of death, caring for the terminally ill, the last moments of life, and the grieving process, the authors provide an accessible resource that includes "everything one needs to know and more" (Library Journal). For another book on the subject, focused more on communicating with physicians and preparing advance directives, look for Angelo Volandes' The Conversation.

According to sociologist and MacArthur Foundation board chair Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, getting older can provide new ways to enjoy life. Terming the period between ages 50 and 75 the "third chapter" of life, Lawrence-Lightfoot relates the stories of people who have developed untapped talents and achieved deferred goals after age 50. While embracing new experiences can be unsettling, the resulting stress can promote healing and renewal. The Third Chapter's vividly drawn, inspiring portraits of people in this phase of life, based on interviews collected during two years of travel, offers new perspectives on aging for both individuals and American society.